Art League Of Montgomery County Annual Art Show Announcement

The Mary Bishop Memorial Gallery at the Crawfordsville District Public Library would like to invite the community to view The Art League of Montgomery County’s Annual Art Show. The Art League Show will be available for public viewing now through the end of September during CDPL’s normal hours of operation. A limited amount of artwork will be for sale during the exhibition through our Circulation department.

This year’s show contains a variety of mediums created by several of The Art League’s members. Some of the artwork is for sale with the library receiving 20% of the price for each piece. Members of The Art League of Montgomery County worked cooperatively with the gallery staff to install this show for your viewing pleasure.

This year’s show includes over a hundred items created by current members. When you visit the gallery you will find fiber arts by Marilyn Smith; watercolors by Leslie Warren, Karen Patton, and Carol Baird; oil and acrylic works by Mary Lou Dawald, Alice Harpel, Kathy Houghton, and Lu Johnson; clay creations by Mary Lou Dawald; jewelry by Anne Sipahimalani; Sailor Valentines by Linda Cherry; creative paper crafting by Ruth Burkhart; psansky eggs by Karen Paton; faux stained glass by Mary Lou Dawald and Karen Patton; and photography by John Zimmerman and Kathy Steele.

The Art League has had an active presence in this community for over a century. The organization now known as The Art League of Montgomery County was founded in 1896 by a group of women with an interest in art history, needlework, and socialization. The founding premise of beautifying the community through benevolence and stewardship has remained constant. The Art League’s activities and focus have varied over the years to reflect this community’s social climate and available talents.

The ALMC continues to work with local organizations to ensure that the arts remain a vital part of our traditions. As many of you know, the Montgomery County Community Foundation sponsored The Art League’s conservation project last year. The award was used for the preservation of historical artworks by local artists. This year, The ALMC solely funded the reframing of two paintings in their collection by Jody Franklin and Peg Shearer. You can view these works at CDPL which currently houses the permanent art collection of The Art League and proudly displays these works alongside its own collection. Artworks by local artists, past and present, can be viewed primarily on the second floor. Their collection also includes the Bicentennial Quilt which hangs in the Reading Room on the first floor. The quilt has 42 hand-stitched squares based on our community’s history and our colorful lore, and it was gifted to our community by The Art League in 1976. The ALMC members have dedicated their lives to the arts and educational freedom for generations.

The Art League President, Kathy Steele states, “The Art League of Montgomery County is open to anyone in our community who appreciates and enjoys art. You do not need to be an artist.” If you want to become a member or learn more about the ALMC, please send your name and contact information to The Art League of Montgomery County, Box 2, Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933, or pick up a membership brochure at the library. After the Membership Committee receives your information, you will be contacted by a representative.

Stop by The Art League Show during the annual Art Walk, sponsored by The Art League of Montgomery County. The Art Walk encourages participants to view art in local business windows along Washington, Main, Green, and Market Streets as well as at the Carnegie Museum, Athens Arts Gallery, Green Street Gallery, and Wabash College. Brochures and maps will be available on September 22 and 23 in all locations that have art. Red balloons will mark the locations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 23.

For more information about CDPL’s hours of operation, please visit our website at http://www.cdpl.lib.in.us/. If you are an artist or a member of an artists’ group and are interested in displaying your work at the Mary Bishop Memorial Gallery in 2024 or 2025, please contact Toni, the Gallery Coordinator at (765) 362-2242 for more details.